Le Petit French Cafe
by SparrowsFlight
Summary: (AU Rumbelle) Detective Gold visits Belle French everyday at her small cafe. Over time they become friends and it all culminates when Gold arrives for his daily visit to find Belle covered in bruises.
1. Chapter 1

_**Original prompt by **__**shipperqueen93**__**. Tweaked a little. This will be a small series of perhaps 5 chapters but I think I will keep it open as an open prompt verse. This is the introductory chapter and we will get into the deeper chapters next. Please let me know what you think. :)**_

_Prompt: Detective Gold visits Belle French everyday at her small cafe. Over time they become friends and it all culminates when Gold arrives for his daily visit to find Belle covered in bruises. _

* * *

The first time that Detective Shaun Gold entered "_La Petite French Cafe"_ was last June. The small restaurant had just opened up a month prior and it was all his partner, Detective David Nolan, had been raving about since he had stopped and bought lunch there a week before. By that point he had decided that he was not going to like it.

Standing in front of the building he knew he had made the right choice not to like it. For one, the name was wrong. The bastardization of the french language appalled him. _La Petite French Cafe._ The owner couldn't even be bothered to be sure the name was spelled correctly? It was Le Petit. Not La Petite. Drawing from his vast knowledge of different languages he knew that cafe was a masculine noun and therefore the masculine variant should be what was written on the hanging decorative blue, Eiffel Tower sign.

With a roll of the eyes he removed his sunglasses and finally entered the cafe, a little bell dinging to announce his presence. The cafe was not very busy but customers lingered at small tables with laptops or a book from, he assumed, one of the many antique looking bookshelves placed all around the cafes perimeter. On the largest wall there was a hand painted view of the french skyline at night, the Eiffel Tower acted as a center point. Shaun supposed that he had to at least give credit to that. It was a beautiful rendition.

He stood waiting behind two other customers and quickly perused the brightly colored, chalk written menu. For breakfast there was the usual bakery styled choices. Muffins, croissants, and bagels. The lunch menu offered the choice between Croissant or Baguette sandwiches and ran the mill of roast beef, turkey and other meats. There were paninis and wraps, soups and salads. A typical cafe styled menu with plenty of choices of house coffees and drinks to top it off. He saw nothing special to set this place aside from any of the other hundreds of cafes and bistros in Boston.

That was when he saw _her _though. It was her laugh that drew his eyes down from the menu to rest on the beautiful brunette behind the counter.

A beautiful melodious sound filled with the carefree delight of a twenty-something young woman. Shaun would have turned his attention back to the menu then if the woman in question hadn't spied a glance at him over the customer in front of him's shoulder. Crystal blue eyes pulled him in and he rubbed his face, subconsciously wishing he would have taken the time to shave the bits of stubble adorning his face.

"Can I help you?" The words came from her lips in a soft accent that he couldn't seem to place at the moment.

It was then that Shaun realized the other customer had already received their order and walked away while he had been caught gawking at a woman half his age. He cleared his throat and shook his head lightly as he stepped forward the couple of feet to the counter.

"I'm sorry, I was somewhere else," he managed gruffly.

"It's not a problem. I've been caught doing that a time or two," the woman smiled kindly and he offered his own in turn.

"Just a small coffee. Black," he said and handed her an exact payment.

The woman processed his transaction and turned to prepare his order. Shaun felt his eyes continually drawn to her lithe figure. Her black skirt flowed as she moved around but it was long enough to be professional. Her blouse matched the blue color of the sign outside and interestingly enough her eyes. He wondered if she had planned that.

"Do you know Detective Nolan?" she asked, returning to the counter with his coffee.

That startled him out of his thoughts again. "What?"

"Detective Nolan? He comes in here often. Do you know him?"

Shaun still felt utter confusion. How had this woman possibly known his vocation? Did he have cop written all over face? "Uh…yes. He is my partner, actually. How did you…" he trailed off, hating the confusion in his voice.

The young woman pointed to his hip with a laugh. "It's kind of obvious, really."

Shaun felt like such an idiot. His gold badge was clipped to the waist of his pants and clearly visible with his open suit jacket. He always had it in the same spot. It made him feel powerful when he walked around in public. He was the symbol of authority and he enjoyed holding that over others, if he were honest.

"Of course. How forgetful of me," he murmured and brushed his fingers across the badge.

"Here!" the woman started and pulled out a small brown bag with the cafe logo printed on it in that same brilliant blue. "Since you will be seeing Detective Nolan," she continued pulling out a couple of pastries from the glass display case, "would you mind giving him this for me? It's a strawberry turnover." She quickly wrapped the pastries and placed them in the bag and held it out for Shaun to take. "They are his favorite. He was raving about them last week and I thought it was so kind of him."

Shaun felt a flash of jealousy run through his veins at that comment. But why was he jealous? And of Nolan for that matter? Shaun didn't even know this woman. "Trust me I heard all about it," he muttered.

If his attitude bothered the woman she never let it show.

" Hopefully, all good things! I put an extra in there for you too," she smiled, shaking the bag a little to regain his attention. He eyed her then but reached out and grabbed the bag in one hand and his coffee in the other.

"Thank you," he said and turned to get the hell out of there before he behaved like an even bigger idiot than he already had.

"You're welcome, Detective….?" she trailed off making her question known.

"Erm," he turned back to look at her hesitantly. "It's Gold. Shaun Gold." He quickly closed his eyes and gently shook his head. Since when did he introduce himself like he was James Bond?

"Detective Gold," she smiled. "My name is Belle French. I own the place," and then came the laugh that had distracted Shaun in the first place. "I hope that you'll come back."

He nodded and then turned to leave once more. Belle French. What a lovely name for a beautiful woman. His eyes glanced up to the window and he was reminded of the awful cafe name printed in fancy cursive writing on the sign outside. He scoffed and turned back to the woman, to Belle, whose attention was on straightening the counter, and before he could stop himself he felt his crushing remarks coming to the surface.

"It's wrong you know," he called out and a couple customers glance up over their books and computer screens. Belle seemed the most curious.

"I'm sorry?"

"The name. _La Petite French Cafe_. If you knew anything about the french language at all then you would know that it should be _Le Petit Cafe Francais_. Cafe is a masculine term and therefore you should use the masculine spelling. Why wouldn't you take the time to make sure that was correct?"

Shaun didn't know why he all of a sudden felt the urge to insult a woman who had been nothing but nice to him. Maybe it was because he was angry that such an unassuming woman was able to turn him into a nothing but a gawking moron who could barely complete full sentences. He wasn't used to feeling like his power had been stripped from him. No one had ever had that effect on him before. Not by just being near them. And he didn't like it.

"Oh," she said quietly as her cheeks flushed a bright red. "I hadn't noticed that before. Thank you for bringing that to my attention."

Shaun felt himself deflating fast as his own cheeks began to flush with embarrassment. He was such a miserable asshole to publicly call out this poor girl.

She was quiet for another moment and he almost started to leave again when she looked him directly in the eye as she spoke. Just as she had done when they spoke at the counter.

"French. It's for my last name. That's why it wasn't changed. I thought it was clever, but I suppose, perhaps I'm not as clever as I thought. That doesn't give you any right to be rude though, Detective," she finished with a poignant stare that left him feeling more disarmed then ever.

"Indeed," he added weakly and fled the cafe before he could embarrass himself even more than he already had.

* * *

The station was just a few short blocks away but Shaun suddenly wished he had drove the distance anyways so he could flee the scene as quickly as possible. He hadn't set out to insult the young woman and her business.

He only wanted to make a short visit to get Nolan off of his back for once. The man talked too much and his incessant nagging was only rivaled by Gold's long dead mother. He was a good man to work a case with and often came up with outside the box ideas but his cheery disposition left something to be desired. Especially for someone with Shaun's own loner and stand offish personality.

When he finally made it back to the station he practically threw the bag of strawberry turnovers at Nolan as he moved to sit behind his desk.

"Compliments of Ms. French. It seems you've made quite an impression," Shaun said and there was that tinge of jealousy in his bones again. Why was he feeling like this? He had spoken to that woman nearly mono-syllabic the entire time he was at the cafe except when he insulted her business. His head hung a little lower as he played that scene in his mind for the hundredth time.

David smiled at his scowling partner when he realized where he had gone. "I knew you would cave eventually!" David grinned. "What did I tell you? Wonderful little cafe, isn't it?"

Shaun directed his scowl from his desk to Nolan. "Dreadful, hole in the wall. I don't think I'll ever go back." Not if he wanted to retain any of his dignity that is. If he ever went back he would either make a fool out of himself by mutating into a blubbering idiot again or insult and offend everyone within the vicinity. But he did feel bad. That woman. Belle. She didn't deserve to be treated so rudely.

David raised his eyebrows. He knew that something had happened. He knew his friend well enough to see through his armour. And if he was right, it probably had something to do with the blue eyed owner. "Sure, you won't," he laughed and turned his attention to the bag of turnovers.

"Give me that!" Shaun said suddenly, jumping up from his desk and snatching the bag out of David's hands. "One of those was for me," he explained, retrieving the turnover and returning to his desk.

David couldn't help but let the smugness show on his face and voice when Shaun tasted the pastry for the first time and let out a barely audible groan of delight. "Soon enough you will stopping by everyday. Just you see, Gold!"

"It's just one pastry."

"I don't think it's the pastries you will be going back for," David responded, finally biting into his own treat.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know."

"Do your job, Detective Nolan," Shaun muttered throwing away the wrapper the turnover was held in.

It was clear to Shaun that he would not be returning to that cafe anytime soon. He was too embarrassed. If preserving the last bit of his dignity wouldn't have stopped him then the fact that he couldn't concentrate on any of his work would. For the rest of the day all he could think about were those bright blue eyes and the easy way she smiled and laughed. Then that all swirled to the defiant face she had shown as he tore her cafe down with his words. No, he could not face her again.

Except…perhaps to apologize for his bullish behavior. Yes. One apology and then he would never have to think of Belle French and her incorrectly named cafe ever again.

_He hoped._


	2. Chapter 2

Shaun waited a week before he found himself in front of the newly corrected, '_Le Petit French Cafe.'_ A wave of guilt hit him immediately as he observed the new sign. The wood had very obviously been painted over in the same deep blue, and the name was stenciled back over in the flowing white script.

As he approached the glass door he realized the sign was flipped to Closed, and a quick glance of his watch showed it to be just after five. Maybe there was still a chance he could catch her. He peeked in through the glass door to see if he could detect any movements. The lights were still on and the chairs hadn't been flipped over yet so they could sweep. Perhaps if he went around back to the employee parking lot he could wait and catch her on the way out. Shaun started to move away when finally there was movement within the little cafe and then there she was.

Belle's long hair flowed in front of her as she moved around and bent forward to spray and wipe down one of the small tables. She moved so quickly and easily that he found himself once again becoming caught up watching her movements. She moved on quickly to the next table and put a leftover coffee cup and and tea cup into tub. It was then he noticed that no single coffee glass or tea cup was the same. Some were large, some small. Most were solid colors but others had quirky designs on them, adding to the eccentricities of the cafe.

Shaun observed her as she repeated this pattern several times before he worked the courage back up to lightly knock against the glass door.

Belle looked up from her work startled at first until she found the source of the interruption and she eyed him curiously from her position. Shaun pulled away from the glass abruptly and almost took the cowards way out and fled once the blue eyes fell upon him once more. Taking several steps away from the front door, he heard it being unlocked and out came the woman he could not stop thinking about this entire last week.

Belle stood tentatively between the half opened door and glanced around her surroundings for a moment before speaking.

"Detective Gold?" she asked innocently enough and he sighed somewhat in relief at the lack of any hostility in her voice. Then she quirked an eyebrow and sized him up, her eyes running from his dress shoes up to his tie around his collar before meeting his eyes once more. "Did you come to insult my business some more? I changed the sign you know?" she said and pointed above her.

Damn it. Maybe she was still a bit upset.

"Yes, I had noticed. Perhaps if it had been done correctly the first time you wouldn't have had to go through the extra trouble."

No. No. No. That was not what he was supposed to say. He was supposed to be apologizing not degrading her again. He couldn't help it. There was just something about her that made him jump to his defenses to protect himself and he was useless to stop it.

Just as he was preparing to back peddle something unexpected happened. Belle laughed and then smiled at him.

"Yes, well I suppose that is true. If you want something done right then you should do it yourself," she grinned.

"No, no. I didn't mean that...I mean I did, because it was wrong, but," Shaun cut himself off. He was babbling again. She must think he is an incompetent idiot, sputtering around for his words. He sighed. "May I come in?" he asked pointing to the open door in her hand.

"We're closed," she said abruptly a frown coming over her face.

That made him frown. "Look. I would just like to apologize for my rude behavior the other day and I don't particularly relish the idea of standing on the sidewalk grovelling. Please?"

Belle pretended to think on it for a moment making him sweat it out. He really did not want to beg for her forgiveness in the middle of the sidewalk. Relief fell over him when she smiled and took a few steps back inside, holding the door open wider for him to enter.

"I was just cleaning up but I suppose since you've gone out of your way I can make an exception."

Belle's smile was contagious and Shaun felt his apprehension beginning to ease away as he made his way inside. As he brushed by Belle at the door he couldn't help but catch a bit of her perfume. A beautiful scent that reminded him of flowers blooming in the spring. He hadn't been close enough to her the last time he was here to know what she smelled like but he knew that it would haunt him every bit as much as her laugh or smile. Every time he closed his eyes the past week all he could think of was Belle.

"So, how did you and Detective Nolan enjoy the turnovers?" Belle asked returning to her work cleaning up the cups and plates then wiping the tables down. Shaun found himself subconsciously helping her along the way, trying to think of the exact words he wanted to say in his apology.

"They were great, thank you for that," he said picking up a plate and depositing it into the small tub. "But I'm sure you know that already with Nolan stopping by as often as he can."

Belle smiled at that. "He's a sweet person. I'm glad to have such wonderful customers. Without people like Detective Nolan, I wouldn't be here! Is he married?" she ventured, and was pleased to see Shaun narrow his eyes at the question. She hid her amusement as she bent forward to wipe the table down.

"Not at the moment but I would be remiss if I didn't inform you that he is likely headed that way very soon if Mary Margaret has anything to say about. Sorry to ruin any of your romantic notions of Mr. Nolan, my dear."

Shaun got a vague sense of smug satisfaction out of destroying Belle's loathsome crush on his partner. David Nolan was no where near good enough for a woman like Belle. She needed someone to challenge her intellectually and keep her entertained. Someone that wasn't afraid to point out her mistakes but also would move mountains to ensure she had everything she could ever want. Not someone like Nolan who was as interesting as watching paint dry. She needed someone like...himself?

No, no. He couldn't think things like that. He barely knew this woman before him and the only impression she had of him was that he was the jerk who insulted her to her face. Besides, she had to be at least half his age. There was no way that she would want to be seen romantically involved with a man that could be her father. Certainly not.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that," she laughed again. She laughed a lot and Shaun decided he really liked that about her. "He just seems the type that needs someone to mother him at all times. He's sweet but definitely not my type."

_And what is your type_ he almost asked but kept it to himself and picked up one of the tea cups on the table they were at to put it in the tub.

"Now, you on the other hand? You strike me as a man who has to play the tough man act to everyone he meets but on the inside you are a mystery to be uncovered. You would definitely be my type," she finished with a little wink.

Shaun felt his body go slack and he took a few steps back from the table. The tea cup that had been in his hand dropped to the floor and he instantly cursed himself and bent down after it. Belle took a few steps toward him to help out but he waved her off.

"Are you alright, Detective Gold?" Her face was molded in concern for him and he couldn't help but to curse himself even more.

"I'm fine," he muttered as he rose up from his knees. "Sorry, to say your tea cup isn't quite as well. It's chipped but you can hardly see it."

It was a shame really. It was a beautiful white tea cup with a sprawling blue design. It looked like it had come from a valuable set of China at one time, but even without it's set it was a lovely little thing. Now it was marred by his carelessness at a silly comment. He needed to apologize and get the hell out of here.

"I'll pay you for the damage," he began pulling his billfold from inside of his suit jacket. He watched Belle glance at his movements and her eye seemed to catch on the flash of his weapon secured in his shoulder holster and then averted her eyes quickly. When he pulled a couple bills out of it that seemed to spring her into action.

"It's just a cup, really, I have plenty of them. My parents were kind of hoarders," she smiled and pushed the money back to him.

Before he had a chance to respond another woman came walking in from the backroom. She was tall and had red highlights in her hair. She had an apron wrapped around her front and she looked at him suspiciously before looking back at Belle.

"Belle, is everything alright here? I heard something break?" she asked skeptically eyes still on Shaun sizing him up.

"Everything is fine Ruby, Detective Gold just dropped a cup. We're okay," she smiled.

"Detective? Are you sure?" The girl, Ruby, still did not seemed convinced.

"Look, Ms. French, I should be going I have a case I need to be working on. I just wanted to stop by and offer my apologies for my behavior last week. I could have handled it much better and mentioned it in private, I am not sure what came over me," he said and stepped forward just as Ruby did and pressed the money into Belle's hand. "I'm sorry for breaking your cup too," he added somewhat sheepishly.

Belle merely shrugged her shoulders and turned her blue eyes to stare into his own brown ones. He was standing so close to her, when did he get that close? Their hands were still clasped together between the two bills and her skin was so warm and so soft. Shaun's eyes fluttered down to her soft lips and he suddenly wondered what they would taste like.

"I understand Detective-"

"Shaun, please. I'm not on a case," he corrected gently.

"Shaun. We all have our bad days. I imagine your job keeps you under a lot of pressure," she spoke suddenly aware of the closeness between them as well and pulled away.

"Indeed," he murmured. "I'll see you around." He straightened his posture and dropped the bills she had tried to give back onto the table along with the chipped cup and hurried out the front door without another glance back.

Shaun thankfully had the foresight to drive this time to ensure a speedy exit when he inevitably did something stupid. He came to apologize and broke her cup. He was such a fool. At least now he had it off of his conscious and would never have to step foot in that cafe again.

* * *

Belle followed Gold with her eyes as he exited and continued watching until he was out of sight of her little cafe.

"Okay, who was _that_ and what the hell is going on between the two of you?' Ruby proclaimed moving to her friends side.

"Oh." Belle shook her head a little bit and then turned her attention to Ruby. "That's the guy who corrected our sign, in a not so nice kind of way. He came to apologize," she grinned.

"_That_ was him?! I thought that you said he was cute?" Ruby asked indignantly.

"I said he was handsome, Ruby, and he is in an unconventional kind of way. There's something about him that's just so interesting...I don't know I'm probably being silly. I just feel like I know him from somewhere."

"You're right, you are being silly. Back to earth Belle," Ruby laughed. "Don't worry though, I have a feeling that he was checking you out too. I mean how long was he holding your hand again? I totally thought he was going to kiss you."

"Oh please Ruby, I barely know the guy," Belle countered but felt something warm stir in the pit of her stomach when Ruby confirmed that he did seem interested in her. Who was she kidding though? A guy like that was probably married and had several children, they certainly wouldn't waste their time on a young entrepreneur like herself. She could always dream though.

Something told her that he would be much more interesting than George. They had briefly dated back in college and she had reluctantly hired him on knowing that he still carried a torch for her. George had never been her type. He was always more interested in his own looks and the score of the football game than he was about anything that she said. He wasn't a bad man but she just wasn't interested in him at all.

She hadn't been lying when she said that Detective Gold, Shaun, was her type. At least from what she had discerned from their brief meetings. He always seemed to be so nervous around her that she thought perhaps he didn't like her at all.

"Doesn't matter," Ruby interrupted her thoughts. "You know you have a thing for him. You always were different. Why don't you ask him out?"

"He's probably married."

"I didn't see a ring!"

"Ruby!"

"Fine, Belle," she laughed.

"You can finish up in here for me right?" Belle asked.

"Of course. You want me to throw this broken cup out?" Ruby asked her, picking up the chipped cup.

"No!" Belle said and snatched the cup a little too quickly from Ruby's hands. She picked up the money from the table too and tried to ignore Ruby's knowing grin as she made her way to the back.

"No, you don't like the guy at all!" Ruby called after her but was only met with the sound of a door closing.

* * *

It was exactly one week after Shaun's apology and two weeks after he first met and insulted the beautiful Belle French when David Nolan tossed a bag onto his desk, making the reports for the case they were working slide across the surface and get disorganized.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked glaring at the man as he went to work rearranging the reports into manila folders.

"Looks like someone has an admirer," David said with a wink and his best grin as he took his own seat behind his desk.

"What?" Shaun reached for the small white bag that had been thrown at him and flipped it over immediately recognizing the blue Eiffel Tower logo. He quickly opened it up and to find a strawberry turnover and a folded piece of paper that when he opened dropped the two twenty dollar bills he had given Belle for breaking her cup. On the paper was a note from her and he felt adrenaline washing through his body as he read her words.

_Shaun,_

_If you really want to make up for breaking the tea cup, please come to the cafe tomorrow after closing time again and have some tea with me. Seems only fair. :)_

_Belle French_

Shaun shook his head and re-read the note over and over again. She wanted to have tea with him. After his behavior when they first met and after breaking her property, she wanted to sit down and have some tea with him. But to what ends? Surely, she wasn't really interested in him.

He raised his eyes to look at David and was only met with that same damn grin and a laugh. Inwardly he groaned. He was in for it now. Belle French wanted to have tea, alone, with him. This would not end well.


	3. Chapter 3

"Looking at your watch every 30 seconds isn't going to make time go faster you know," David Nolan said without raising his head from the files he was working on.

Shaun rolled his eyes and and pulled his shirt sleeve down so that it would cover the gold watch adorning his left wrist. It was four in the afternoon. One hour left until his tea date with Belle and time could not possibly move any slower.

Work wasn't helping matters. He and David had been stuck in court all morning to testify at one of the hearings for an old murder case of theirs that was finally hitting trial. Since then they had been waiting anxiously on some forensics for the last week and were supposed to be getting results today but so far all was quiet and quiet usually meant nothing good. Quiet usually meant that things were about to get crazy and they would be up to their ears in cases.

For now though, they were left to catch up on paperwork. A task that he had barely been able to focus on since Nolan brought them both lunch back from a certain Cafe which would not be named. It took everything Shaun had in him not to ask about Belle. How she looked, how she seemed. Did she seem like she was happy and excited today? Or perhaps she was melancholy and regretful. He half expected another letter to be wrapped in with his smoked turkey croissant sandwich. Alas, there was nothing out of the usual. And it was killing him.

"I don't know what you are referring to. I am merely checking the time to ensure that I will have these files on the Captain's desk before I take off for the day."

Shaun hadn't told David about the date yet officially. Was it even a date? No. It was just tea. He was pretty sure Nolan already knew but he never asked after watching him read that note a hundred times the previous day.

"Of course. It has nothing to do with you having a date with Belle at all," David smiled.

Well, he was perceptive. Shaun would give him that.

"What Ms. French and I do or do not do is none of your business. Unlike you I don't care to divulge every detail of my personal life with others," came the snarky reply.

"Oh, c'mon Shaun. Who do you think set you up in the first place?" David laughed, finally looking up at his partner. Shaun looked positively ill and it only made him laugh more as he sipped his tepid coffee from earlier that afternoon.

"What did you do?" Shaun accused him, hardly keeping the menacing tone from his voice. David was used to it though and let the vague threat roll off his back.

"I may have aided some inquiries from a certain cafe owner and mentioned that you have been single for as long as I have known you and casually suggested that you guys would make an interesting pair."

If looks could kill, David Nolan would be six feet under with a layer of concrete over top of him so they'd never discover the body. Even as Shaun narrowed his eyes further he was plotting all the different ways that he could get away with the mans murder. He had been a police officer for nearly twenty years now and and a Detective for fifteen. He had surely learned a thing or two about covering ones tracks.

"Oh, c'mon don't look at me like that! If I hadn't have made that casual suggestion you would still be here moping over your inability to not insult women who have more than a casual interest in you. Not to mention Belle would keep asking after you every time she would see me," David grinned again and folded his hands behind his head as he came to lean back in his chair and see how long it would take for that comment to sink in.

The anger quickly melted to confusion on Shaun's face and he couldn't help but let his question escape his lips, feeling silly for how his voice cracked like a teenager going through puberty. "Belle would ask you about me?"

David sighed. "Every day. She would make small talk but I always knew she wanted to ask me more. Then finally before I would leave she would ask how you were and if you were going to come back to the cafe again. Even when she wasn't working the front end. She always seemed to find me. I don't know what you did man, but she has it bad."

"Oh, aside from insulting her and breaking her dishware?" he replied bitterly. "No, I think you are mistaken her interest and concern for something else."

"Then why does she want to have tea with you?"

That was a good point. Why did she want to have tea with him? Why not accept his cash for the broken cup and be done with him forever? He was nothing special. He certainly had nothing to offer such a beautiful woman as herself.

David knew he wasn't going to get an answer and glanced up to the big clock on the wall.

"4:15," he called out and went back to his reports.

Shaun double checked his watch and swallowed the knot that had formed in his throat so quickly. Why should he be nervous? It was just a cup of tea. That was all it was right? Just two friends...not even friends, acquaintances more like, coming together to share a drink. That was it. He inhaled and exhaled deeply before looking up at David, hair falling in front of his eyes as he made himself vulnerable.

"Should I bring flowers or something?" Shaun lowly questioned.

David grinned and met his eyes. "Just leave it all to your wingman," he laughed and ducked his head under his desk. When he popped back up he held a bright floral arrangement. "I picked this up when I got lunch. Now repeat after me, the yellow roses are for friendship…"

Shaun glanced at his watch. 4:23pm. Five could not come soon enough.

* * *

Belle would be lying if she said she wasn't thrilled to lock the door after the last customer left the cafe. She loved and appreciated all of her patrons but today was an important day and she felt butterflies fill her stomach as they had all day long.

"Ruby!" Belle called out as she scurried away from the door and quickly started cleaning and turning the chairs on top of the tables except for one table in the center. "Ruby!" Belle yelled again a little louder this time.

All of this pushing and shoving and nagging from Ruby all week to talk to this guy and now on D-day she was no where to be found. Figures.

Stacking the last of the cups and plates in the small tub, Belle hurriedly walked them back to the kitchen and plopped them into the sink. As soon as five had hit Belle had shooed all of her staff except for Ruby away so that she could get prepared for her date with Shaun. It was a date right? Regardless, Ruby was getting a lot of overtime pay to help her finish the closing process afterwards.

"Belle!" Ruby said almost colliding with the woman in question as their paths crossed at the kitchen door.

"Ruby! Where have you been? I need your help!" Belle admonished as she grabbed the folded blue tablecloth that she had hidden under the counter to use for today.

"I know I'm sorry. I was making sure everyone was gone. George kept asking questions," Ruby said and helped Belle put the cloth over the middle table, making sure it was even.

"Oh lord. Why does he even care? It's none of his business."

"I know, I know. He still has a thing for you. You know that. I think he noticed you making doe eyes at a certain Detective a few weeks ago. Not to mention you are always give that other guy plenty of extra treats to take to your mutual friend. George was bound to catch on eventually," Ruby said and began to finish preparing the the rest of the dining room for closing.

"Yeah well, it's still none of his business. What time is it?"

"What do I look like a clock? A watch doesn't exactly go with this outfit."

"Oh you are useless," Belle said with a smile and reached her hand into her friends apron pocket, pulling out her ever constant cell phone and checking the time. 5:09. They hadn't decided on a set time but Belle knew that the police station was only a few blocks away from her cafe and it wouldn't be long until her non date was here.

"Go get dressed! I got the rest of this, the tea is already on too!" Ruby grinned taking her phone back. Belle looked at her unsure and Ruby thought about pushing her all the way to her office. "Goooo!"

Belle sprung into action then and finally went back to her office casting her friend one more look before going to change.

It's not a date. It's just a casual tea thing right? Just two adults sipping tea and having a nice conversation. If one of those people just happened to be a very good looking man with his distinguished brown and gray peppered hair that she couldn't stop imagining running her fingers through then that was fine. Right?

"What have I got myself into?" she said out loud, as she slipped the pale blue summer dress over over her head and reapplied her deodorant and perfume.

Belle stood in front of the small mirror in her office and reapplied the light makeup that had been smudged during the workday and just started brushing her hair when there was two knocks on her door, followed by Ruby's head peaking in.

"He's here! I didn't know what to do so I just let him in!"

Belle felt her heart begin to pound and those butterflies returned full force. "Oh, um thank you. I'll be right out."

"He brought flowers! This is so a date!" Belle's eyes grew wide as she put the brush down but she didn't say anything, just shrugged her shoulders. "You look hot by the way!" Ruby whispered and closed the door behind her.

Belle rolled her eyes and took in a deep breath. One last glance to the mirror and then she walked over to her favorite bookshelf that adorned a fraction of her personal book collection. It was more decorative at this point as she was too busy to stop and read while working but she liked to have them closeby. On top of the bookshelf was a picture of her and her father back when they still lived in Australia, along with an autographed first edition of "Gone With The Wind" that had been in the family for years. Next to that valuable possession, Belle reached out and picked up the white and blue chipped cup and smiled fondly.

With the chipped cup in tow she was finally ready to face Shaun.

* * *

Shaun had knocked several times on the glass cafe door before he was let in by the same red streaked hair, scantily clad girl from last week. She no longer looked at him with any suspicion and she actually seemed a little too happy to see him. Ruby her name was.

Ruby escorted him to where he assumed he and Belle would be sharing their tea and offered him a seat but he found that he was too nervous to. He held the flower arrangement behind his back, still not sure if they would be appropriate. He could just be making a fool out of himself and this wasn't a date at all.

He was still pacing around when Ruby brought in the pot of tea and placed it on the table along with cream and sugar, if they were needed.

"Belle will be out in just a moment," she said in what she hoped was a reassuring voice. The man before her seemed altogether too skittish. Like he had never been around another person before in his whole life.

"Thank you," he whispered and resumed his pacing as she exited the room.

Just as he decided that he should ditch the flowers, Shaun heard a door open and the unmistakable sound of high heel clicking against the tile floors. He turned in their direction and there was Belle. Beautiful Belle.

Belle paused a moment when she saw Shaun but instantly smiled at him. He looked so flustered she couldn't help but love how cute that was. No one was ever that undone just by looking at her. She waved a little and then continued towards him, setting the chipped cup on the table between them.

"I uh. I see you got my note," she offered, finally breaking the silence.

Shaun had to regain his thoughts for a moment and try to process what she said. "Oh. Um. Yes. Very subtle I must say."

Belle laughed a little and that gave Shaun some confidence. "These are for you," he said offering the small arrangement to her. "They mean friendship, as I understand." Because that's all this is, he told himself. They are friends.

Belle took the proffered arrangement with an open mouthed grin and fussed over them. "Oh, Shaun they are lovely!" she said taking a moment to breathe them in. "They um. They don't all mean friendship though."

Shaun wrinkled his forehead at that. He was going to kill David. He probably picked out some insulting flower to Belle and didn't even know it. Some wingman.

"The yellow roses do indeed mean friendship," she continued, "but the variegated tulips mean beautiful eyes...and the carnation in general means pride and beauty but the white carnations mean innocence and pure love…" Belle blushed and her hair fell in her eyes as she smelled the flowers once more.

Shaun almost had a heart attack. Some. Fucking. Wingman. He wasn't sure if he should be angry with David for not being entirely truthful with the flower meanings or if he should shake his hand for perfectly summing up his emotions toward this beautiful cafe owner. If Belle seemed happy he would be happy but if not he really would not be coming back here again and neither would his young partner.

"These are wonderful. Thank you," she grinned and Shaun thought he spied her blushing cheeks as she walked away and then returned with a makeshift vase. She arranged the flowers in it and then placed them in the middle of the table and tentatively sat down, imploring him with her eyes to do the same.

Shaun took his seat across from her and narrowed his eyes in confusion. "How did you know-"

"What the flowers mean?" she finished and took the pit of tea in hand, pouring tea first into a blue cup and then into the chipped cup. "My father is a florist back home. I used to help him run things during the summer when I was a teenager. He taught me everything he knew about flowers. Being a florist is something he always wanted to do," she continued, placing the chipped cup in front of Shaun. He raised his eyebrows but otherwise made no mention of his cup.

"How about you?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Why did you become a police detective? Was it something you always wanted to do?"

Shaun forced a bitter laugh from coming up. No it was certainly not something he thought he would ever end up doing. It was something that he had to do.

"Lawyer," he said quietly and Belle had to strain to hear him. "I wanted to be a lawyer. Went to school for it. Got my degree. But I never practiced. I became a police officer instead and worked my way up through the years."

"Why did you never practice?" she asked genuinely curious though she got the impression that he really didn't want to go into the details.

"How did an Australian girl like yourself, end up in America, owning a "French" cafe?" he countered back and she saw the teasing in his eyes.

She could skip that subject for now. It obviously made him uncomfortable and she really didn't want to spoil this.

"I think the business end of working in my father's floral shop stuck with me more than anything, as you can tell," she smiled, holding her arms out to indicate the cafe around them. " I came to the US for college and I think he was disappointed I didn't want to carry on the family business but I have always wanted to be different and independent from what my family expected of me. To do something for myself and not for them, you know?"

Shaun nodded his head as he put a little sugar in his tea and took the first sip. And he did understand didn't he? He had always been independent from his own family too.

"My mother and I had always dreamed of moving to France and opening a restaurant. We always said it was our destiny because of our last name being French," Belle smiled at the memory and Shaun smiled too. But then Belle's smile was gone and she was looking at her hands. "When she passed...well I kept the dream alive and though it may not be France I thought I would bring a touch of it here. I would say it is working out quite well," she smiled again and the ghosts were chased away from her eyes.

"Seems to be. Aside from the sign malfunction," Shaun couldn't help but add, kicking himself all the while but Belle seemed to take it as the joke that it was now meant to be.

"Yes! Aside from the sign. Let me tell you about that. My ex, George is his name. I asked him to stencil that on the sign because I was too busy getting everything prepared for opening day. He had it hung up and everything by the time I checked back in with him and I just never noticed at all. I should really be thanking you for correcting that one. I swear I gave George the right name on paper but...I don't even know what happened," she laughed sipping at her tea.

Shaun waved her off. "I was horribly insulting for no good reason besides getting lost in how beautiful you were that day and not knowing how to express myself."

What the hell did she put in this tea? Did he really just say that out loud?

"You think I'm beautiful?" she smiled.

"No. I mean...yes of course I do. Only an idiot wouldn't think you are a beautiful woman," he mumbled. Boy did it all of a sudden get hot in here. Shaun could feel his face flushing and instinctively loosened the tie around his neck, hoping to get some kind of comfort.

"Good. I think you are a pretty handsome guy yourself," and it was Belle's turn to blush furiously as Shaun had to keep his jaw from dropping to the floor. "This is a date right?" she asked.

Shaun narrowed his eyes in amusement. "You sent the note. You tell me, sweetheart."

"I know, I know. I just…" she trailed off and Shaun felt his heart tighten in his chest. Whatever Belle said next, he knew, was going to make him or break him. "I couldn't get you off my mind these past few weeks...and Ruby has been bugging me about you since our incident with Chip," she smiled pointing at the cup in Shaun's hand. "I thought for sure you were married but Detective Nolan started talking to me yesterday about how he wished you could meet someone that would make you as happy as Mary Margaret makes him and the next thing I knew I wrote that note…"

"And you regret it," he stated, preparing himself for the inevitable letdown.

"No!" she quickly answered. "Not at all. I wanted this. To be on a date with you. I still do."

Shaun couldn't believe the words coming from her mouth. She liked him. She wanted to be here on this date (it was a date!) with him. A wicked grin crossed his features at that and he knew he must have looked like the cat that had ate the canary,

"It's a date then," was all he said and reached across the table and held her hand in his, relishing the softness of her palm, giving it a slight squeeze of reassurance.

The moment was interrupted by the shrill sound of Shaun's cell phone and he cursed furiously as he pulled his hand away from Belle to answer it. She watched him and listened to the one sided conversation, disappointment filling her veins when she heard him tell whoever was on the other end that he would be there right away. She looked down to the floor then and didn't look up as he hung up and slowly stood from his seat, coming around to stand next to her.

"Hey," he said softly and she put on her best smile. "I am so sorry, sweetheart but I've got to run. Damn forensics we've been waiting on all week just got in. I need to do some work."

Belle got up from her own chair and stood in front of him. He took a step back to give her some space but she really didn't want space right now. Lord help her she had barely half a date with this man and she already couldn't let him go.

"I understand. Are you always on call? Like a doctor?" she asked genuinely curious as they started a slow walk to the door.

"Pretty similarly yes. I'm sorry we didn't get to finish our date. Seems I never leave this place without messing something up," he sighed. Belle just shook her head in disagreement.

She was so close to him right now. He could reach out and touch her face easily. Run his fingers down her neck and card them through her hair. Shaun's heart started pounding and his ears were ringing. Her lips looked so pouty and so inviting. He hadn't stopped wondering what they would taste like against his own. Hadn't stopped hoping that maybe someday he would be able to find out. And someday was here.

Before he could runaway he bridged the small gap between his and Belle's lips and wrapped a hand around the back of her neck to draw her in. As with everything where Belle was concerned her lips were soft and just a little bit sweet. He seemed to have caught her by surprise but then felt her responding beneath him, her own arms coming up to rest on his shoulders and then mirrored his own move, fingers sliding through his hair.

Shaun wasn't going to push things but it was Belle's tongue that pressed against his lips asking for entrance and there was no way he could deny her. They both explored each other's mouths and Shaun knew he would never grow tired of it, not in a million years. Right now he was the luckiest man alive to know Belle in this way, and this was just a kiss.

Reluctantly, Shaun broke the kiss. He really needed to leave though he would much rather be ravishing Belle's mouth with his own for the rest of his life. Their foreheads met as he let out a sigh of contentment and Belle grinned, pressing another quick kiss to his lips.

"Go. I don't want you to get in trouble," she whispered, running her hands through his hair.

"I don't even give a damn," he admitted and she laughed.

They broke apart completely at that and Belle unlocked the front door and held it open for him.

"Thank you for a lovely time," he said. "I think we should do it again."

Shaun was getting braver and he enjoyed how his seeming awkwardness had begun to vanish after he willed himself to kiss Belle. He felt more like himself.

"I agree. Same time tomorrow?"

"Uhhh. I'm not sure what will be going on tomorrow with this new evidence...tell you want," he began reaching into his suit's inside pocket and pulled out a business card with his name and work phone on it. A pen came next and he quickly scribbled digits onto the back. "My private cell phone. Not my work one," he smiled. "You can call. Or text. I'm still pretty slow at that but I would make the effort for you."

Belle smiled and grabbed a napkin off a nearby table, borrowing Shaun's pen to write down her own number. "We'll pick a date," Belle smiled as she handed him the napkin.

Shaun took it and put it in his pocket. "A date," he said again wistfully. "Thank you Belle. I will talk to you soon I promise."

And then he was gone, leaving Belle to lock the door and then lean against it, all of her strength suddenly gone as she relived their kiss over and over again.

What an excellent evening this had turned out to be.


	4. Chapter 4

**So sorry for the long wait on this one guys. This chapter just absolutely did NOT want to be written and even now I am horribly unhappy with the way this chapter turned out. I needed to start moving the plot forward and I am telling you. It is a struggle. Sorry, for the wait. I hope you guys will at least enjoy the chapter and I promise the next will be better. This is one of those filler chapters to bridge the gap. **

**Thank you so very much for all of your wonderful comments and reviews. You all are wonderful! **

* * *

George Leroux took another drag from his cigarette as he stood in the shadows of the employee parking lot. He didn't even know why he was smoking, it was a habit that he hadn't indulged in since he was a teenager, but he needed some kind of fix to keep his nerves together.

Belle was inside the cafe having dinner with the cop — again. It was the third time this week that she had rushed the staff away after their duties and while most weren't bothered, George was. Ever since this guy started coming around, Belle had stopped talking to him, stopped looking at him, stopped everything. She very nearly would push him out the door when he would linger about and it was ruining all of his plans.

The only reason he had taken the job at _Le Petit French Cafe_ was so that he could be near her again and try to win her back. George thought that once she saw how supportive he was of her dreams that she would realize she had been making a mistake letting him go. He had practically helped Belle build the damn place, even hand painting the little sign that hung over the door (and correcting her French mistakes which she never thanked him for). She had patted him on the shoulder a couple of times and always greeted him with a smile when he came in to work. That all stopped when _he _came around though.

George flicked the half smoked cigarette onto the ground and stomped it out just as the back door of the cafe burst open and the sound of Belle's laughter filled the air. It almost made George smile until he heard the man's laughter as well as they both exited the darkened cafe. The cop had his arms around Belle's waist, one hand straying a little too close to her butt if he had anything to say about it.

Belle turned and locked the back door behind them before returning to the cops side and then _she_ wrapped her arm around _his_ waist and George felt sick to his stomach.

The pair laughed and joked all the way to Belle's car before they quieted and Belle leaned back against her car door. George could see the ghost of a smile on her lips before his view was completely blocked out by the cops body but he knew what they were doing. They were kissing, and Belle's hands were in the cops hair and his hands were clutching her to him and George felt the rage beginning to boil in his veins.

That was his Belle. She was supposed to be kissing him, clutching her body against his, not this old guy. George was handsome and his body was toned from years of playing sports and he went to the tanning bed every day and bleached his teeth for the extra shine in his smile and yet it still wasn't enough for Belle. She wanted someone old enough to be her father with long graying hair, a scrawny body and pale complexion. George didn't understand it.

The couple in question finally broke apart and the cop took a step back, one hand going to his hair as Belle straightened her outfit out with a grin. He opened the door for her and Belle slid into the drivers seat. The cop shut the door behind her and she started up the car, rolling down the window and pulling him toward her for a few more kisses.

George gritted his teeth in determination and angrily punched the wall of the building, not caring about the pain.. He was going to need to put an end to this. He was going to make Belle love him again no matter what it took.

* * *

It had been a long time since Belle had been this happy. _Le Petit French Cafe_ had really begun to take off in the community these last few weeks. Business had always been steady since she opened the doors, but word of mouth, namely from a couple of Boston Police Detectives, had her small cafe positively booming. She has even had to hire on several more employees to keep up, especially during the lunch rush.

The cafe was turning into everything that she ever dreamed that it could be and she only wished that her mother could be here to see her now.

Belle talked to her father often enough and informed him of her successes but though he always seemed genuinely proud of her it wasn't the same. Soon enough he would begin talking to her about how he missed her and wished that she would come home and that just simply was not an option. Boston was her home now and she had made a good life for herself. She earned a spot in her community with her business, made more friends than she could count and not to mention her blossoming relationship with a certain brooding Detective. She had yet to inform her father on all of the details of that particular subject. Her father was still stuck on her failed relationship with George. They had met once when her father visited and he had practically begged George to marry her. It was embarrassing considering at that time Belle had just about given up on the relationship.

She wondered what her father would make of Shaun.

Despite the success of her business she would be lying if she said that the biggest element that was bringing her happiness was him. Since their first date, despite his busy work schedule, Shaun always made time to come in and see her at work and taken her out as often as possible. She loved their dates on the town but nothing was better than him stopping by shortly after closing time. It would just be the two of them then, sipping at their tea and talking about their day. Sometimes Shaun would disclose small details of the cases he was working, particularly if they had a good ending. Other days he would be reserved and Belle would do all of the talking, not that she minded.

Shaun Gold was a complicated man and she had understood that from the start. Slowly, she was peeling back his layers of defense and the issue would be broached one day. Until then she was content to just enjoy their relationship.

The sound of the bell ringing at the entrance of the cafe brought Belle out of her thoughts and she glanced up from the paperwork she was daydreaming over and a smile instantly made itself known. She had given Shaun a key to the cafe not long ago (he was a cop, she completely trusted him) and she loved the strangely domestic feeling that would wash over her whenever he would use it.

She watched as Shaun took the time to lock the door back and tried to gauge his mood as he turned to look at her. His tie was loosened, barely a knot left and that was never a good sign. Shaun prided himself in his appearance and the only time he was disheveled was when he was anxious or angry at something. The dark circles under his eyes suggested he hadn't been sleeping well and he moved towards her sluggishly though he attempted his best smile towards her. Definitely on a bad case then.

Belle rose from the table she had been working at and met Shaun halfway, wrapping her arms around him tightly as soon as she was able to. Shaun's arms seemed to hover over her for a moment, not anticipating the hug but soon came to rest around her waist as he pulled Belle closer to him.

Belle lifted her head and stole a kiss from his lips, feeling him sigh gently against her as they broke apart and she rested her head upon his shoulder. His body still felt tense under her arms so she ran a comforting hand up and down along his spine, fingers slowly pausing and massaging some of the muscles. Shaun groaned in pleasure under her ministrations.

"I've missed you sweetheart," Shaun mumbled into her hair, placing a gentle kiss upon the crown of her head and sighing once more. This time Belle felt the tension leaving his body.

"And I've missed you too. I haven't got more than a couple texts from you these last few days. I was beginning to think you were losing interest in me," she teased and Shaun scoffed. "Rough case?"

Shaun released himself from her hug and sighed. "Indeed," he spoke softly and took her hand, leading them back to the table she had been working at. He held Belle's chair out and waited for her to sit and pushed her in before taking his own seat across from her.

Belle reached across the table for his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Were there children involved?"

Belle had begun to notice that more often than not when Shaun was assigned cases involving children he was more closed off and reserved than usual. She never pressed him about these cases but she wondered why he seemed to take each one personally. Perhaps just simply because children were innocent but she had a feeling that there was more to the story than all that.

"Kidnapping. I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind."

She watched him shift in his seat a little and his brown eyes seemed to stare at everything in the room except for her. Chasing the frown from her face she poured him some tea into his favorite chipped cup and found herself wishing she had something a little stronger to offer. He accepted the cup with a nod but didn't drink from it immediately.

"Well, I have had a wonderful day today! I've been going through all of the cafe's finances and we are turning such an amazing proffit. I only ever dreamed that we could do so well. I owe a lot of that to you and Detective Nolan," she said with a smile and nudged his foot with her own under the table.

This time she was able to illicit a quirk of his lips before he bowed his head, hair obscuring his features. When he finally looked back up at her she thought she might have even spied a little bit of a red tint to his cheeks.

"That's great Belle, but truly, you only have yourself to thank for that. You had a wonderful vision and you brought that to life with your hard work and passion. Nolan and I just spread the word a bit."

"Spread the word and increased my reputation," she grinned.

"I would say it was more those little paper bags with your logo upon them stuffed to the brim with pastries, that you try to send me off with every morning that did that, " Shaun said quirking an eyebrow.

"You just can't take a compliment can you?" she laughed.

"It's in my nature. Can't take credit for something I don't deserve."

"And you are especially self loathing today," she laughed and then turned serious, reaching for his hand. "Tell me. What happened today?"

For the first time that day, Shaun looked her in the eyes and Belle truly hoped that he could see the depths of her concern and sincerity. There had been something off about him since he stepped through the door and no amount of ignoring it was going to do him any good in the end.

Shaun sighed and took a deep breath. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could say anything a loud crash came from the kitchen, startling them both from their gaze.

Shaun's eyebrows narrowed and he looked away from Belle to the door leading into the kitchen.

"Is anyone else supposed to be here?" he asked already getting up from his chair and reaching inside of his jacket to the holster that held his weapon.

"N-no. Just me. It's probably just some pans that weren't put up properly and fell. I do tend to rush a lot of the staff out of here as soon as I can. That can lead to a bit of clumsiness," she spoke uncertainly, rising from her own chair to follow him but Shaun waved her back.

Slowly Belle watched as Shaun made his way up to the swinging kitchen door and inched up behind him as he went anyways. If there was someone in her cafe she wanted to know what they were doing.

Holding his gun up with one hand, Gold used the other to gently push back the kitchen door. He peered inside the kitchen and saw various cookware scattered about the floor behind the prep area. He observed the room looking for any movement that would suggest someone was there but found it difficult to tell in the dark room, He glanced to the wall beside him and saw the light panel.

With a quick flick of the wrist he turned them on, eyes darting through the illuminated room as he called out, "Boston Police!"

Before Gold even knew it the back door of the cafe was slammed open and a man ran out the back. Cursing Gold yelled back to Belle, "Stay inside!" as he holstered his weapon and followed in pursuit into the employee parking lot.

The man was tall and fit but he was slow and Gold was fast. After 20 years of chasing people down, he already knew what the suspect was going to do before he did it and caught up to him in the middle of the lot. With one quick move, Shaun was able to grab ahold of the back of the mans shirt, yanking him back and then forward, bringing him tumbling to the ground with a cry.

Belle busted out the back of the cafe door just in time to see Shaun handcuffing the man, one of his knees lodged in the middle of the mans back to keep him from running again. She cautiously approached the scene.

"Who are you? What were you doing in the cafe?" she heard him ask the man but his voice was muffled.

"Shaun?"

Shaun's head turned slightly to her approach but then returned to the man on the ground. "Belle, I told you to stay inside. I've got this."

"Belle?!" the man called out clearly this time. "Belle, please get this maniac off of me!"

Shaun turned back to look at her and Belle squinted her eyes at the man on the ground. "George?! What are you doing here? It's okay Shaun, he works here," she nodded to him, signalling to let him go.

With a reluctant sigh Shaun uncuffed George and removed himself from his back. He cautiously remained a couple steps away, not trusting this guy even if Belle seemed to. Something felt off.

George took his time pulling himself up. His clothes were now speckled with dirt and dust from the gravel parking lot and he brushed himself off as he stood. He had several small cuts on the right side of his face from the take down but seemed otherwise fine.

"George, what are you doing here?" Belle asked again.

"I forgot my Ipod here and I figured that I would swing by and get it on my way to the gym."

Shaun watched George as he spoke to Belle, watching his face. He wouldn't make eye contact with Belle and his hands kept fidgeting over his wrists, rubbing where the handcuffs had dug into the skin.

"That's a lie," Shaun spoke directly. George shot him a look but Belle held a hand up to stop them both.

"George, how did you even get in? I know I locked up all of the doors."

"You had me make copies of the key remember? I kept a spare in case you needed me to come in and open for you or close sometime." His eyes moved from the ground to Belle's direction, to something in the sky before falling back to the ground. Another lie, Shaun knew.

"Then why did you run?" Shaun asked, his voice slightly strained as he stepped forward. George had a good several inches on him but Shaun had taken down bigger guys and could surely do it again if he needed to. This time George's eyes flickered to Shaun's and stared him down, a deep seething hatred barely masked.

"Because you had a gun pulled on me, you maniac. I didn't know that by knocking a couple pots over on my way out was justifiable cause to try and kill me, let alone you coming out here and throwing me on the ground. Police brutality much?" George huffed crossing his arms over his chest.

"You broke into a closed establishment and then fled from an identified police officer, this could have been a lot worse for you, dearie."

"I work here. It was not a crime for me to come back to retrieve what is mine," George began to raise his voice.

"Perhaps, if you were telling the truth as to why you were here-"

"Enough!" Belle interrupted the two men. "George, this all could have been avoided if you just would have come through the front door like a normal person. Shaun thought there was an intruder and was just trying to do his job. Come in and get what you need and go home, George. C'mon Shaun, let's finish our tea," she said, looping her arm in his.

Shaun looked doubtfully towards George and hesitated a moment, until Belle pulled him in her direction. "Belle, I detect liars for a living and he is most certainly lying to you about his intentions. I don't know what he was really doing here but I really think that you need to let him go from your staff."

Belle released her grip on his arm and turned to stare at him as he pulled open the back door and held it open for her. "Don't you think that may be a bit drastic, Shaun? This was a misunderstanding, that's all. George is harmless," she said finally moving into the building with Shaun following close behind.

Shaun felt a headache slowly starting to build and brought a hand up to rub his temple. He had a near constant headache for the last week. The stress and tension of his latest case barely allowed for him to sleep more than a couple of hours a night and just when he thought he would finally be able to have a relaxing evening, this George idiot had to wreck everything.

"Harmless? The guy is clearly still harboring an attraction to you and using his job here at the cafe to do it. I know how to read a person. Whatever it was that he was doing here, was not so innocent as you seem to believe it to be. He made himself a copy of your establishments key without your knowledge or permission and just let himself in. Lied about it, ran from a police officer and you still think that he is harmless?"

"Is that what this is really about? You are worried that George is going to try and make a move?" she teased.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "No, Belle that's not- you completely missed my point."

"I heard what you said Shaun but I think you are overreacting to this. Your mind has been on overload lately, lets just sit down, finish our tea and forget this entire thing ever happened. I will deal with George at work tomorrow, " she said reaching for his hand.

He pulled away from her and Belle frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said turning to look at the floor. His cell phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to see that he had a message from David. Without reading it he put the phone back in his pocket and looked to Belle. "I think I'm going to get out of here. I need to work on some things." He looked her in the eye and cupped her cheek with his hand and kissed her gently

"Shaun you don't need to leave. Tell me what is going on with you. This is more than George. Does this have to do with whatever case you are working on?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Belle. Just worry about the cafe and the idiots you have working here. Get that key from him," he said and began making his way to the door.

"Why won't you just tell me what's going on? I don't understand why you can't just sit back down and keep talking to me," Belle said trailing after him.

He turned around, an aggravated expression on his face but he stopped himself short from yelling. "It has to do with my son," he whispered so quietly she had to strain to hear his words.

That admission stopped Belle in her tracks. A son? Shaun had never mentioned a previous marriage let alone having a child. She watched in shock as he gave her another quick kiss and mentioned he would see her later before slipping out the front door.

A son. Shaun had a son. Why wouldn't he have just mentioned that to her from the start? Why was it such a secret? A feeling of dread welled up inside of her as some of the pieces began to connect together.

Shaun's son was dead.

* * *

George remained where he stood in the parking lot and shook his head as he watched the door close behind the couple. He hadn't intended on creating such a large scene but he was trying to listen in to Belle and the cops date to see if he could find out any dirt he could use against him. Or at least something that he could use to try and win Belle back. It might have actually worked if he hadn't of been so clumsy.

He made his way back into the small building in time to see Gold exit, leaving him and Belle alone. It was the opportunity he had been waiting for and he eagerly took it.


End file.
